Unforgettable El Chorro Wedding - Carmela Joy Photography

It’s not often I get to experience a “first” as an Arizona wedding photographer but Katrina and Todd’s El Chorro wedding definitely brought a few firsts and a lot of excitement. Keep scrolling to learn more about this unforgettable Scottsdale wedding at El Chorro.

Katrina + Todd: How They Met

This couple’s love story began where you might expect a great love story to start - at a club. Todd and Katrina were out at the same bar having a great time and Todd (who may or may not have had one too many drinks) left quite an impression on Katrina. In fact, her exact words were, that she “thought he was eww.”

By the next week though, all had been forgotten and the rest was history. The couple started dating and after 8 years together, they were ready to embark on the next big chapter of their love story - a luxury wedding at one of Scottsdale’s finest venues, El Chorro.

The Backstory Behind Katrina + Todd’s Unforgettable El Chorro Wedding

This El Chorro wedding included a big 'first' for me!! But to tell you about that, we have to rewind to a few weeks before the wedding day.

Todd and Katrina live in Dallas but knew they wanted to plan their engagement session and destination wedding here in Arizona (where I am based). About a month and a half before their wedding date, we had scheduled to take their engagement photos at the Camby Hotel. I arrived and told the couple to meet me in the lobby. The next thing I knew, I saw Katrina limping over to me with a boot around her foot. I was in SHOCK!! “Surprise!! I broke my foot,” she said. Katrina had broken her foot just before getting on her flight to Arizona, but she refused to let it stop her. Even though it was a bummer situation, they had such a good attitude and I have to say that their engagement photos turned out so cute!

That wasn’t the end of their story though. Katrina ended up having to get surgery on her foot and on their wedding day, she had to ride around in a scooter. This was a first for me as I’ve never worked with a bride who couldn’t put any weight on her leg, and while it was challenging, we made the best of it. Even though she was in pain, Katrina had the BEST mentality and even embraced the scooter which she nicknamed “Scoot”.

Todd and all the guests rallied around and brought amazing energy and attitudes to the day which helped boost Katrina’s spirit. One of my favorite moments from this unforgettable El Chorro wedding was when Todd carried Katrina down the aisle after they exchanged their vows. It was so amazing to see a couple take an unfortunate situation and turn it into something beautiful.

For more luxury wedding inspiration, check out this resort wedding at Royal Palms Resort & Spa!